Incinerator with burner assembly



J. W. HEBERT INCINERATOR WITH BURNER ASSEMBLY 2 Sh eets-Sheet l BY{4/741047 i /mm Nov. 18, 1958 Filed Aug. 21, 1953 Nov. 18, 1958 J. w.HEBERT 2,859,535

INCINERATOR WITH BURNERYASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 21, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

flTTOR/VEYS United States Patent IN CINERATOR WITH BURNER ASSEMBLY JohnW. Hebert, Bay City, Mich, assignor to Calcinator Corporation, Bay City,Mich.

Application August 21, 1953, Serial No. 375,636

4 Claims. (Cl. 110--18) This invention relates to gas-fired incineratorsfor burning refuse, garbage, trash and the like, and more particularlyto downdraft incinerators and certain novel improvements in gas burnerassemblies therefor.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to design a gas burnerassembly for disposed units which incorporates a pro-mixing tube, theair ports of which are located outside the combustion chamber in the airsupply passage so that only fresh clean air, without entrained fly ashor uncombusted particles, is mixed with the gaseous fuel supplied to theburner. Such a unit will mix fuel gas and air under ideal conditions andprovide a hotter, more efficient burner flame.

A further object of the invention is to design a burner assembly of thetype described, wherein only clean air from without the combustionchamber is mixed with the gaseous fuel so that there are no entrainedfly ash particles or uncombusted material to clog the flame ports of theburner head.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gas burner which isshielded so that wet or damp refuse or garbage cannot clog the burnerflame ports and smother the flame.

A further object of the invention is to provide a burner assemblywherein the flames of the burner are impinged directly upon a perforatedshield so that the surrounding garbage is dried, ignited and combustedby the heat transferred thereby, as well as by direct contact with theflame.

Another object of the invention is to provide a highly efiicient burnerassembly which slowly and evenly dries, ignites, and consumes thegarbage and refuse in the combustion chamber without releasingobjectionable odors to the room in which the unit is housed.

A further object of the invention is to design a unitary burner assemblywhich can be repaired in place, or readily removed from the incineratorfor repair, alteration or replacement, without dismantling theincinerator or removing the contents of the combustion chamber.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wellvented burnerassembly which eliminates the possibility of unburned gas collecting inthe combustion chamber and exploding.

A further object of the invention is to design a shielded burnerassembly which can be conveniently and safely lit from outside thecombustion chamber.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shielded burner assemblywhich includes an extension for supplying secondary or draft air frombelow the combustion chamber, thus avoiding the use of air from thecombustion chamber which contains entrained particles which could clogthe burner and burner shield.

A further object of the invention is to design a burner assembly ofstrong and durable construction which requires little maintenance and iseconomical to manufacture and install.

A still further object of the invention is to design a burner assemblyin which the burner head is constructed to deflect fly ash and the likefrom the flame ports, and which burns only sufficient gas to promotedehydration and support the combustion flame, thereby tending toeliminate smoke and odor problems.

With the above and other objects in View, the present invention consistsin the combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understoodthat changes may be made in the form, size, proportion, and minordetails of construction, without departing from the spirit, orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my garbage disposal unit, the sidewall thereof being broken away to show the burner assembly.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, side elevational view of the burner assemblyonly.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, elevational view of an extension member foradmitting draft air to the shielded burner from below the combustionchamber.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, sectional, elevational view of the burner head.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings in which Ihave shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, a letter Igenerally indicates an incinerator or garbage disposal unit of thedown-draft type in which my burner assembly is installed, the unit beingcomprised of an insulated outer casing 9 with a cover 10, an innercasing 11 spaced from the outer casing 9 defining a perimetral airpassage 12 and providing a combustion chamber 13 as usual.

A grate 14, actuated by a shaker finger 15 on a shaker rod 16, forms thefloor of the chamber 13 and an ash drawer 17 is removably positionedbeneath the grate. To permit the flow of air through the passage 12 tosupply the top of the combustion chamber 13, the bottom of theincinerator (not shown) is open to the passage 12. A great portion ofthe air flowing upwardly through the passage 12 enters the combustionchamber 13 through perforations (not shown) in a wall 18, while theremaining portion thereof sweeps around the wall 18 to the stack 19.

A burner access opening 2b in the outer casing 9 is normally covered bya panel 21 which fits thereinto in the manner shown, and an opening 22is similarly provided in the inner wall 11. It will be observed that theburner assembly B (see Figs. 2 and 3) is provided with a substantiailyannular panel 23 which is mounted over the opening 22 and supports theassembly in position.

Fixed to the rear face of the panel23 near the lower edge thereof is thehead 24 of a tubular extension T 25, the head 24 being provided withflanges or legs 26 which may be welded to the rear face of the panel 2?.The depending body portion of the T 25 is arranged to terminate justshort of the grate 14 for a purpose which will be presently described.

Received in the upper end of the T 25 is a tapering tubular burnershield S which is provided with perforations 27 as shown. Supportedwithin an opening (not shown) in the panel 23 through which it extendsis a curved burner tube 29 which passes through the T 25 into the lowerend of the shield S and carries a burner head 30 on the upper endthereof. The head 34) is specially designed to protect the angularlyextending flame ports 31 which lead from the chamber 32 provided in theinner end of the burner, and to direct the flame to the wall of theshield S, and is .annularly recessed intermediate its length as at 33.

The burner head 30 is formed with an enlarged, mushroom-type cap 34which overhangs the flame ports 31 as shown to prevent fly ash and thelike, which might fall through the perforations 27 in the shield S, fromclogging the ports 31. It will be apparent that a portion of the flamefrom the ports will be impinged upon the sloped underwall 35 of the capand deflected to the shield S, and that the remainder of the flames fromthe ports will be impinged directly upon the wall of the shield. Theresult of directing the flame to the wall of the shield is to form ahollow cylindrical wall flame above the burner which has direct contactwith the material in the combustion chamber through the perforations 27.Moreover, the heat transferred by the wall of the shield S plays animportant part in drying and igniting the surrounding refuse in thecombustion chamber.

Mounted on the opposite end of the tube 29 within the passage 12 is agas flow control valve 36 which controls the flow of gas to the tube 29from the gas supply pipe 37 in accordance with a calibrated control 38.Inasmuch as the control and valve are conventional and form no part ofthe instant invention, they will not be described in further detail. Aprimary air port 39 is provided in the tube 29 and clean fresh air fromthe chamber 12 will be inspirated into the tube at this point and mixedwith the gaseous fuel.

In order that the burner may be safely lit without the hand entering thecombustion chamber, a lighter tube 40 is mounted in an opening 41provided in the panel 23 opposite one of the perforations 27 inproximity to the burner head 30.

A vent tube 42, received in the upper end of the burner shield S,extends upwardly out of the combustion chamber 13 between the walls 11and 18, and it will be apparent that any unburned gas is thustransmitted out of the combustion chamber and flows to the stack 19.

In operation, it will be apparent that it is unnecessary to light theburner before loading the combustion chamber 13, and thus permit smoketo escape to the room upon the loading thereof. With applicants novelburner assembly, it is possible to first load the combustion chamber 13with garbage, refuse and the like before lighting the burner. Then withthe cover closed, the control knob 38 is adjusted to permit gas to flowthrough the tube 29 to the burner head 30 and a match is struck andinserted into the tube 40 to light the burner. Only sufficient gas toprovide a flame which will promote dehydration of the wet garbage andsupport combustion is burned so that outside smoke and odor problems areminimized. The incorporation of clean, fresh air with the gaseous fuelprovides a hotter, more eflicient flame than has heretofore beenpossible to obtain.

In view of the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have perfected ahighly efficient and practical burner assembly, which while intended foruse in garbage disposal units, will find widespread use in other fields.Accordingly, it is to be understood that I do not wish to limit myselfto the use herein described, and intend that the appended claims covervarious embodiments of the device within the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a downdraft incinerator comprising an outercasing, an inner casing within the outer casing and forming a combustionchamber, said inner and outer casings being spaced to provide an airsupply passage therebetween, said inner casing being provided with anopening therethrough leading into said combustion chamber, of a burnerassembly including a panel secured over said opening, a source of fuelgas supply, a mixing tube connected to said source of fuel gas supplyand extending from said passage through said panel into said chamber, aburner head fixed to the end of said tube within the combustion chamber,said mixing tube having an air port for inspirating clean air thereintolocated within said passage, the outer casing having an access openingadjacent the opening in the inner casing, and a tube open to said airpassage extending from said panel into said chamber and terminatingabove and adjacent said burner head to permit lighting of the burnerhead from Without the combustion chamber.

2. The combination with a downdraft incinerator comprising an outercasing, an inner casing within said outer casing forming a combustionchamber and defining an air supply passage between the outer and innercasings, said inner casing having an opening near the upper end thereofto admit air from said passage to the chamber, of a mixing tube leadingfrom said passage through said inner easing into said chamber below saidadmission opening, a source of gaseous fuel supply connected to one endof said mixing tube, a burner head connected to the opposite end of saidmixing tube, said tube having air port means for inspirating clean airthereinto located within said passage, and a perforated shield for saidburner head, said head including circumferentially spaced, upwardlyinclined flame ports for directing the flame to said shield.

3. The combination with an incinerator comprising a casing forming acombustion chamber, the casing having an opening therein leading intosaid chamber, of a burner assembly including a panel secured over saidopening, a fuel supply pipe extending from outside of said casing intothe casing and being turned angularly to extend alongside said plate, aburner head fixed to the end of the pipe and entirely within the casingbeing disposed generally adjacent said panel, a tube through'said panelopen at both ends thereof, the end of said tube within said casingterminating adjacent said burner head to permit lighting thereof fromwithout said chamber.

4. The combination with a downdraft incinerator comprising an outercasing, an inner casing within said outer casing forming a combustionchamber and spaced from the outer casing to define an air supply passagebetween the outer and inner casings, said inner casing having an airport near the upper end thereof to admit air from said passage to saidchamber and an opening therebelow of a burner assembly including a panelsecured over said latter opening, a gas supply tube open to the airsupply passage extending inwardly from said panel into the chamber, aburner head fixed to the end of the tube adjacent the panel, and aperforated shield surrounding said head and having perforations thereinadjacent to the head, said head having upwardly inclined flame ports andan overhanging cap thereabove with an upwardly inclined undersurface fordeflecting flames laterally to the perforations in the shield to form ahollow cylindrical wall of flame along the inner wall of the shield.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS758,224 Tucker Apr. 26, 1904 959,057 Hanson May 24, 1910 972,619 HarveyOct. 11, 1910 1,020,119 Wheelock Mar. 12, 1912 1,093,356 Prescott Apr.14, 1914 1,155,492 Krenz Oct. 5, 1915 1,603,462 Heckenbleikner Oct. 19,1926 1,640,248 Pepin Aug. 23, 1927 1,674,304 Schamberg June 19, 19281,862,660 Clynch June 14, 1932 1,921,152 Caldwell Aug. 8, 1933 2,114,848Lang Apr. 19, 1938 2,545,625 McKinley Mar. 20, 1951 2,562,270 HebertJuly 31, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Canada Apr. 17,

